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Saturday, March 23, 2013

BILLY STEWART - UNBELIEVABLE / CROSS MY HEART

Billy Stewart's second album, 1966's Unbelievable, and the
posthumous, 1974 odds-and-ends collection Cross My Heart are combined onto one
CD for this 79-minute compilation. It's not apt to satisfy non-completists as
it's not a best-of, missing the majority of his chart hits and including just
one big smash, "Summertime." For those looking for supplements to his most
popular songs, however, it's not a bad deal, and includes quite a few tracks not
likely to be found on other compilations.

The centerpiece is the Unbelievable
album which, in keeping with his unexpectedly successful, exuberantly stuttering
update of "Summertime," is comprised entirely of pop standards given a soul
treatment. "Summertime" is still far and away the standout of that LP's dozen
tracks, in part because some of the others have more middle of the road,
pop-jazz-oriented arrangements. Nonetheless, if you want to hear him tackle
like-minded material like "Moon River," "My Funny Valentine," "Over the
Rainbow," "That Old Black Magic," "Misty," and a couple more by "Summertime"
composers George & Ira Gershwin, this is your chance. The most liberal
interpretations that make the most of his freewheeling trademark scat-stutter
style, like "Moon River," "That Old Black Magic," and "Canadian Sunset," are
more enjoyable by far than his more straightforward ballad readings.

The 12
tracks from Cross My Heart were taken from various 1964-1969 singles, with the
exception of one of the better cuts, "Fat Boy's Boogaloo," a 1967 James
Brown-flavored Stewart original that made its first appearance on that 1974 LP.
Generally, these aren't as striking as his best hits, with some exceptions like
1964's "Tell It Like It Is," which puts his fully developed, odd vocalizations
to infectious, upbeat, mid-'60s soul without a hint of influence from the pop
standards. The rest is good to acceptable '60s Chess soul fare, though, Stewart
proving himself capable of writing a good straightforward soul-pop ballad on
"How Nice It Is" and "Why Am I Lonely." Some of the late-'60s tracks get slicker
and more faceless from both the production and songwriting viewpoints, though
the cover of "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" works better than you might expect.
The Shout label does a good job with the packaging of this rather awkward match
of vintage albums, adding historical liner notes and sequencing the Cross My
Heart tracks so they're heard in chronological order rather than the scattershot
sequencing used on the original LP. ~ Richie Unterberger

Digitally remastered
two-fer containing a pair of albums from the R&B vocalist on one disc. Billy
Stewart is best known for his distinctive and iconic version of 'Summertime',
George Gershwin's standard from Porgy & Bess. 'Summertime', a U.S. Top 10
Pop and R&B hit in the summer of 1966 was the lead track on Billy's
Unbelievable' album on Chess, and it is fascinating to hear 'Summertime' in
context. ... Full Description
Stewart developed his own idiosyncratic 'word-doubling' vocal delivery, and was
supported by brassy arrangements combining the best elements of Soul and Big
Band Jazz. Also included as bonus tracks are a collection of Billy's Chess
recordings from across the 1960s; once released by Chess in 1974 as a
compilation called Cross My Heart, which features many Northern Soul favorites.
Shout.2011. Audio Remasterer: Simon Murphy. Liner Note Author: Clive Robertson. ~ CD Universe